We are all guilty of hoarding old beauty products. From the dozens of different shampoos, conditioners and moisturisers we've tried and abandoned, to eye shadows and nail polishes bought years ago that we swear we'll use again one day. Teal eye shadow will come back into fashion, right?

While eye shadow may last millennia, other beauty products have a limited shelf life. They might not adversely affect your health, but items like perfume are certainly better the newer they are.

You have no more excuses for having a cluttered make-up drawer any more. Here we've complied a list of beauty products and when you should throw them out. Some products just stop working as well as they should, while others could be bad for your health. The lifespan of these products might surprise you – and not in a good way.

*Make sure you check the use-by or best-before dates first, as some products will have different lifespans depending on quality.

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Beauty essentials to change regularly

When you think about it, that loofah or sponge you use in the shower every day should be replaced way more frequently than you probably do. Think about it: you use it to slough off dead skin and the day's dirt, so it's a potential breeding ground for all sorts of nasties like bacteria and mould.

You change your toothbrush every three months, and you should probably do the same with your loofah. Keep in mind natural sponges have a shorter lifespan, and should really be changed once a month.

Another breeding ground for bacteria is your mascara. This should be replaced every four to six months, when it starts getting clumpy and drying out. Liquid eyeliner also has the same lifespan, but your pencil should last up to a year.

Sunscreen usually comes with a use-by date, and shouldn't be kept for longer than six months. However if you subject your sunscreen to heat – read, leaving it in the sun while you're at the beach – you should consider replacing it more frequently.

Other creams and moisturisers can last up to a year, as long as you replace lids and caps firmly each time you use them.

Products that last

Powdered foundation, blush and eye shadows can last up to two years, if they're kept out of the sun. Liquid, compact or creme versions can keep well for a year.

Make-up brushes can last forever – if you buy good quality brushes, and you clean them regularly. You should throw out brushes if they start to shed or become stiff even after cleaning.

Lipstick and lipliners should be good for up to two years, but just keep an eye on how well they apply. If they've been subjected to heat, chances are they aren't going to be as smooth and might turn out streaky. Also, you probably guess that I'm going to tell you lipsticks are yet another hiding place for bacteria. So keep that in mind when trying to decide whether to keep it or toss it.

Nail polishes generally don't work well after a year or two. They become streaky, too runny or too stiff if they've been sitting around your bedroom for too long. Try storing them in the fridge to maximise the lifespan of your favourite polishes.

Perfume is another beauty essential that benefits from being stored in the fridge. While they last longer than two years, the scent will stay fresher if you keep it in an ultra-cool environment.

In a nutshell

Every three months: Throw out your mascara, toothbrush and loofah.

Every six months: Time for new sunscreen and liquid eyeliner.

Every year: Toss out any liquid/creme product you haven't finished. This includes hair products, moisturisers, liquid foundation and creme blushes or eye shadows.

Every two years: Get rid of any old powders, including foundation and blush. You should think about replacing any old lipsticks, get rid of any old nail polish and also make sure your perfume is still up to scratch.

7 comments

Usually the advice is not to put perfume in the fridge as the temperature change that occurs when it is taken out of the fridge is too severe and can damage the delicate notes of the fragrance. Generally it is recommended that ideal storage conditions are a dark place with low humidity and a temperature of around 10-12 degrees if possible.

Commenter

Escritora

Date and time

April 09, 2014, 10:11AM

How about not buy them in the first place

Commenter

Bushranger

Location

Sydney

Date and time

April 09, 2014, 12:36PM

I know...Its time to throw out your makeup, when you have decided that you are good enough without it.I am not interested in people that wear makeup, it's like they are trying to hide something.It is important to remember that clowns wear makeup.

Commenter

Padrino

Location

Ellivarray

Date and time

April 09, 2014, 12:37PM

Come on people this article is not just about makeup ! Prsonally I found the advice about sunscreen quite useful !

Commenter

Kat

Date and time

April 09, 2014, 9:57PM

How about instead of telling us to toss things out, you actually tell us if these things CAN be recycled? I've got a stack of old nailpolish that I don't know what to do with because I know it would probably be awful for the environment to just 'dump it' like you say. I think that would be more helpful. And telling us useful information like pot moisturisers and pot lipglosses should be sprayed lightly with alcohol to keep bacteria at bay. I even do it with my most-used eyeshadows to keep them sterile (so I can use them on friends).

Plus, I could swear TheAge does one of these exact articles on 'makeup expiration' every couple of months to every year. Expiry dates for makeup is old news...literally. How about new technology in foundation or skincare? With some actual science to back it up. Stuff I can't just google.